Sure, we throw our fair share of shade at Jersey, but this is just unacceptable. In a new study from investment website, Insider Monkey, Jersey City ranks higher for the world’s most walkable cities than NYC.
Out 30 global cities, NYC couldn’t beat Jersey City; and with New Yorkers walking up to three times the average American, we’re quite simply astounded at the results.
There are many benefits to living in a walkable city, like improved economic activity, health gains and typically better air quality, but pedestrian-friendly infrastructure is a complicated feat. To determine the 30 most walkable cities in the world, Insider Monkey took into account safety and crime indexes, distance between the top tourist attractions, air quality levels, public transportation, cleanliness and more.
According to the list, the most walkable city in the world is Florence, Italy. With only 0.5 miles between the top five attractions in the city, Florence also has an air quality score of 44 (0-55 means fantastic air quality) and a safety score of 60.24. Moreover, Insider Monkey points out that one can walk through all of Central Florence in just two hours.
But if you keep going down the list, you’ll find U.S. cities mentioned, including Boston (10), Jersey City (23) and finally New York City (25). Jersey City only has a 4.8 mile distance between its top attractions while NYC’s is 6.5 miles. In total, those distances would take someone 130 minutes to walk NYC’s but only 90 minutes to walk Jersey City’s. Furthermore, Jersey City beats NYC in safety with a score of 56.75. Meanwhile, NYC’s safety score is 50.
Find the entire list for the world’s most walkable cities here.